Display apparatus for searching and control method thereof

ABSTRACT

A display apparatus for searching and a control method thereof are provided. The method includes displaying an image content, determining whether a search function is performed while the image content is displayed, and in response to the determining that the search function is performed while the image content is displayed, transmitting information of the image content to an external server. The method further includes receiving, from the external server, information of a search record of one or more viewers of the image content, and providing information of one or more search terms that are related to the image content, based on the information of the search record.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No.10-2015-0046022, filed on Apr. 1, 2015, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate toa display apparatus for searching and a control method thereof, and moreparticularly, to a display apparatus that can recommend and correct asearch term corresponding to a search term that is input by a user,based on content information, and a control method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

Thanks to the development of electronic technology, electronic deviceswith various functions have been developed and distributed. Inparticular, various kinds of display apparatuses including a TV are usedin general households. The display apparatuses have been advanced to beprovided with various functions according to users' needs. Inparticular, the TV can be connected with the Internet and thus cansupport Internet services. In addition, the user can watch many digitalbroadcasting channels through the TV.

In dramas or entertainment programs broadcasted through these channels,latest trend-led products or hot places frequently appear. When a useris interested in the products or places that the user meets through thescreen, the user may make an effort to know the products or places, suchas directly searching through the Internet or asking the people aroundthe user. However, it may not be easy for the user to exactly memorizethe appearance of the products or places, which flash by in thebroadcasted program, and to search for the products or places.

In addition, the search function through the related-art displayapparatus is based on image content information, and thus there is nosearch term and query language recommendation related to similar groupswatching the same content, and there is no search term correctiontechnology. Thus, the search function in the display apparatus islimited and may cause inconvenience.

SUMMARY

Exemplary embodiments address at least the above problems and/ordisadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, theexemplary embodiments are not required to overcome the disadvantagesdescribed above, and may not overcome any of the problems describedabove.

One or more exemplary embodiments provide a display apparatus that canperform a search function using content information and searchinformation of similar groups watching the same content, and a controlmethod thereof.

According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided amethod for controlling a display apparatus for searching, the methodincluding displaying an image content, determining whether a searchfunction is performed while the image content is displayed, and inresponse to the determining that the search function is performed whilethe image content is displayed, transmitting information of the imagecontent to an external server. The method further includes receiving,from the external server, information of a search record of one or moreviewers of the image content, and providing information of one or moresearch terms that are related to the image content, based on theinformation of the search record.

The transmitting may include in response to the determining that thesearch function is performed, analyzing the image content that iscurrently displayed based on information of an electronic program guide,transmitting a result of the analyzing to the external server as theinformation of the image content, capturing a screen of the imagecontent, and transmitting the captured screen to the external server asthe information of the image content.

The information of the search record may include at least one amonginformation of a record of a search term of other viewers regarding theimage content, and information of a record of a search term that waspreviously searched by a user.

The providing may include analyzing the information of the search recordin real time, and providing information of a recommended search termthat is inputtable by a user, based on a result of the analyzing.

The providing may include receiving an input of a search term from auser, analyzing the search term in real time based on the information ofthe search record, and providing information of a corrected search termthat is related to the search term, based on a result of the analyzing.

The method may further include transmitting, to an external device, atleast one among the information of the search record, and theinformation of the one or more search terms.

According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there isprovided a display apparatus for searching, the display apparatusincluding a display configured to display an image content, acommunicator configured to communicate with at least one among anexternal server and an external device, and a controller configured todetermine whether a search function is performed while the image contentis displayed, and in response to the controller determining that thesearch function is performed while the image content is displayed,control the communicator to transmit information of the image content tothe external server. The controller may be further configured to controlthe communicator to receive, from the external server, information of asearch record of one or more viewers of the image content, and provideinformation of one or more search terms that are related to the imagecontent, based on the information of the search record.

The controller may be further configured to in response to thecontroller determining that the search function is performed, analyzethe image content that is currently displayed based on information of anelectronic program guide, control the communicator to transmit a resultof the analyzing to the external server as the information of the imagecontent, capture a screen of the image content, and control thecommunicator to transmit the captured screen to the external server asthe information of the image content.

The controller is further configured to analyze the information of thesearch record in real time, and provide information of a recommendedsearch term that is inputtable by a user, based on a result of theanalyzing.

The controller may be further configured to receive an input of a searchterm from a user, analyze the search term in real time based on theinformation of the search record, and provide information of a correctedsearch term that is related to the search term, based on a result of theanalyzing.

The controller may be further configured to control the communicator totransmit, to the external device, at least one among the information ofthe search record, and the information of the one or more search terms.

According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there isprovided a search function execution system including a displayapparatus configured to determine whether a search function is performedwhile an image content is displayed, and in response to the displayapparatus determining that the search function is performed while theimage content is displayed, transmit information of the image content toan external server. The external server is configured to extractinformation of a search record of one or more viewers of the imagecontent, and transmit the information of the search record to thedisplay apparatus, and the display apparatus is further configured toprovide information of one or more search terms that are related to theimage content, based on the information of the search record. Theexternal device is configured to receive, from the display apparatus, atleast one among the information of the search record, and theinformation of the one or more search terms.

The external server may be further configured to extract the informationof the search record based on at least one among the information of theimage content and a record of a search term of other viewers regardingthe image content.

The external server may be further configured to receive, from thedisplay apparatus, an input of a search term that is input by a user,and extract the information of the search record based on at least oneamong the input search term, the information of the image content, and arecord of a search term of other viewers regarding the image content.

The display apparatus may be further configured to provide informationof one or more broadcast programs based on a selection of a respectiveone of the one or more search terms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects will be more apparent by describingexemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view showing a configuration of a search function executionsystem according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display apparatusaccording to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display apparatusin detail according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views illustrating a search function of a displayapparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views illustrating a function of displaying a listof recommended search terms or a list of corrected search terms based oninformation that a display apparatus receives from an external serverwhile executing a search function according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views illustrating a function of an external serverextracting information on a search record while a search function isexecuted according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a function of a display apparatustransmitting information on viewers' search record and related searchterm information to an external device;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, and 9B are views illustrating an on demand service ofa video on demand (VOD) or a DVD using a search function of a displayapparatus according to one or more exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a searchfunction of a display apparatus according to one or more exemplaryembodiments; and

FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating a search function of adisplay apparatus when the display apparatus interworks with an externaldevice according to one or more exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments are described in greater detail below withreference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following description, like drawing reference numerals are usedfor like elements, even in different drawings. The matters defined inthe description, such as detailed construction and elements, areprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the exemplaryembodiments. However, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments canbe practiced without those specifically defined matters. Also,well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detailbecause they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.

It will be understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”used herein specify the presence of stated features or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other featuresor components. In addition, the terms such as “unit,” “-er (-or),” and“module” described in the specification refer to an element forperforming at least one function or operation, and may be implemented inhardware, software, or the combination of hardware and software.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a configuration of a search function executionsystem according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, thesearch function execution system includes a display apparatus 100, anexternal server 200, a database (DB) 250 (other external servers), andan external device 300.

The display apparatus 100 may include a TV, a Hybrid Broadcast BroadbandTV (HBBTV), a smart TV, an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), etc., but is notlimited to these, and may be various kinds of apparatuses provided witha display function, which receive broadcast signals and exchange datathrough a network, such as an electronic album, a PC, a laptop PC, aPersonal Digital Assistant (PDA), etc.

In addition, the external device 300 may be various kinds of portabledevices such as a mobile phone, a PDA, an MP3 player, a navigationdevice, etc.

According to an exemplary embodiment, when the display apparatus 100executes a search function, the external server 200 may receiveinformation on an image content from the display apparatus 100.Thereafter, the external server 200 may extract information on a searchrecord of viewers who are watching the same content using theinformation received from the display apparatus 100. The external server200 may transmit the information on the viewers' search record to thedisplay apparatus 100. In this case, when the search system is providedwith the separate external server 250, the separate external server 250may store the information on the image content that is received from thedisplay apparatus 100 and the information on the other viewers' searchrecord of the same image content.

In response to the search function being performed while an imagecontent is displayed, the display apparatus 100 may transmit informationon the image content to the external server 200. Thereafter, theexternal server 200 may extract information on a search record ofviewers related to the image content using the information on the imagecontent, and transmit the information on the search record to thedisplay apparatus 100. In addition, the display apparatus 100 mayprovide related search term information to the user based on theinformation on the viewers' search record. In this case, the displayapparatus 100 may transmit the information on the search record to theexternal device 300.

In an exemplary embodiment, the display apparatus 100 receives theinformation on the viewers' search record from the external server 200,and then analyzes the information on the viewers' search record in realtime and provides the related search term information. According toanother exemplary embodiment, the external server 200 may receive imagecontent information from the display apparatus 100, and then extractsearch term information related to the image content using the imagecontent information, a search term that is inputted by the user when theuser inputs the search term, a search term that was previously inputtedby the user, other viewers' search record regarding the image content,and the information on the image content. Thereafter, the externalserver 200 may transmit the extracted search term information to thedisplay apparatus 100.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the displayapparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2,the display apparatus 100 includes a communicator 210, a display 220,and a controller 230.

In this case, the communicator 210 is configured to communicate withvarious kinds of electronic devices according to various kinds ofcommunication methods. Hereinafter, the configuration of thecommunicator 210 will be explained in detail below with reference toFIG. 3.

The display 220 displays an image content under the control of thecontroller 230. According to an exemplary embodiment, in response to thesearch function of the display apparatus 100 being performed, thedisplay 220 may display the image content and a list of search termsrelated to the image content. When the user does not input a searchterm, the display 220 may display a list of recommended search termsrelated to the currently displayed image content under the control ofthe controller 230. According to another exemplary embodiment, when theuser inputs a search term, the display 220 may display a list ofcorrected search terms related to the term inputted by the user, such asan error-corrected term, under the control of the controller 230.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the display 220 may display a UserInterface (UI) 400 for using the search function of the displayapparatus 100 (“Do you want to use a search function?”) as shown in FIG.4A. In this case, in response to the user inputting a selection of ‘YES’410, the display apparatus 100 executes the search function.

According to another exemplary embodiment, in response to the displayapparatus 100 executing the search function, the display 220 may displaya UI for informing that the search function is currently executed (UIsaying “search function in progress” as shown in FIGS. 5A to 6B).

The controller 230 may control the overall operation of the displayapparatus 100.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in response to the search functionbeing performed while an image content is displayed, the controller 230may control the communicator 210 to transmit information on the imagecontent to the external server 200. In addition, the controller 230 maycontrol the communicator 210 to receive information on a search recordof viewers who are watching the currently broadcasted image content fromthe external server 200. In this case, the controller 230 may controlthe display 220 to display related search term information based on theinformation on the viewers' search record. In addition, in response tothe display apparatus 100 interworking with the external device 300, thecontroller 230 may control the communicator 210 to transmit at least oneamong the information on the viewers' search record and the relatedsearch term information to the external device 300.

When the search function is performed while the image content isdisplayed, the controller 230 may analyze the currently reproduced imagecontent based on Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information, and controlthe communicator 210 to transmit the result of the analyzing to theexternal server 200 as information corresponding to the image content.In addition, the controller 230 may capture the screen of the imagecontent, and control the communicator 210 to transmit the capturedscreen to the external server 200 as information on the image content.In this case, the external server 200 may extract the information on theviewers' search record using at least one among the information on theimage content (for example, the EPG information, the captured screen),the record of a search term that was previously searched by the user,and the other viewers' search term record on the image content.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in response to the user inputtinga search term, the external server 200 may receive the search term thatis input by the user, and the information on the image content (forexample, the EPG information, the captured screen) from the displayapparatus 100, and extract the information on the viewers' search recordusing at least one among the received search term, a search term thatwas previously searched by the user, the information on the imagecontent, and the other viewers' search term record on the image content.That is, when the user does not input a search term while the searchfunction of the display apparatus 100 is performed, the external server200 may extract the information on the viewers' search record using atleast one among the information on the image content, the search termthat was previously searched by the user, and the other viewers' searchterm record on the image content.

In addition, when the user inputs a search term while the searchfunction of the display apparatus 100 is performed, the external server200 may extract the viewers' search record using at least one among thesearch term that is inputted by the user, the information on the imagecontent, the search term that was previously inputted by the user, andthe other viewers' search term record on the image content. Thereafter,the controller 230 of the display apparatus 100 may provide a searchterm list UI based on the information on the search record that isreceived from the external server 200.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments described above, thedisplay apparatus that performs the search function using the contentinformation and the search information of similar groups watching thesame content can be controlled more easily and efficiently.

Hereinafter, the display apparatus 100 according to one or moreexemplary embodiments will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the displayapparatus 100 in detail according to an exemplary embodiment. As shownin FIG. 3, the display apparatus 100 includes an image receiver 310, animage processor 320, a display 330, an audio outputter 340, acommunicator 350, a storage 360, an inputter 370, and a controller 380.

FIG. 3 illustrates various elements of the display apparatus 100 whenthe display apparatus 100 is provided with various functions such as adisplay function, a communication function, an image reception function,etc. Therefore, some of the elements shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted orchanged, and another element may be added according to an exemplaryembodiment.

The image receiver 310 receives image contents from various externalsources. The image receiver 310 may receive a broadcast content from anexternal broadcasting station, and receive an image content from anexternal electronic device (for example, a DVD player, a set-top box,etc.).

The image processor 320 may process the image content received from theimage receiver 310 into data of a displayable format. According to anexemplary embodiment, in response to the search function of the displayapparatus 100 being performed, the image processor 320 may capture thescreen of the image content under the control of the controller 380. Inthis case, the controller 380 may control the communicator 350 totransmit the screen captured by the image processor 320 to the externalserver 200 and the separate external server 250 as information on theimage content.

The display 330 displays the image content that is processed by theimage processor 320 under the control of the controller 380. In responseto the search function being performed while the image content isdisplayed, the display 330 may display related search term informationbased on information on a search record of viewers that is received fromthe external server 200. For example, the display 330 may display a listof recommended search terms that are predicted to be inputted by theuser as shown in FIG. 5A, or when the user inputs a search term as shownin FIG. 5B, the display 330 may display a list of corrected search termsrelated to the search term inputted by the user. This will be explainedin detail below.

The audio outputter 340 outputs the audio data of the image content. Theaudio outputter 340 may be configured to output various notificationsounds or voice message as well as various audio data processed in anaudio processor.

The communicator 350 is configured to communicate with various kinds ofexternal devices according to various kinds of communication methods.The communicator 350 may include various communication chips such as aWiFi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip, awireless communication chip, etc. In this case, the WiFi chip, theBluetooth chip, and the NFC chip perform a WiFi method, a Bluetoothmethod, and an NFC method, respectively. The NFC chip refers to a chipthat operates in the NFC method using a band of 13.56 MHz among variousRF-ID frequency bands such as 135 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 860-960 MHz,2.45 GHz, etc. When the WiFi chip or the Bluetooth chip is used, avariety of connectivity information such as SSID and a session key maybe transmitted and received first, and communication is establishedusing the connectivity information, and then a variety of informationmay be transmitted and received. The wireless communication chip refersto a chip that performs communication according to various communicationstandards such as IEEE, Zigbee, 3^(rd) Generation (3G), 3^(rd)Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc.In response to the search function being performed while the displayapparatus 100 displays the image content, the communicator 350 maytransmit the information on the image content to the external server200, and receive the information on the search record of the viewers whoare watching the image content from the external server 200.

The storage 360 stores various modules for driving the display apparatus100. For example, the storage 360 may store software including a basemodule, a sensing module, a communication module, a presentation module,a web browser module, and a service module. In this case, the basemodule is a module that processes signals transmitted from hardwareincluded in the display apparatus 100, and transmits the signals to anupper layer module. The sensing module is a module that collectsinformation from various sensors, and analyzes and manages the collectedinformation, and may include a face recognition module, a voicerecognition module, an NFC recognition module, etc. The presentationmodule is a module for configuring a display screen, and may include amultimedia module for reproducing and output a multimedia content, and aUI rendering module for performing UI and graphic processing. Thecommunication module is a module for communicating with the outside. Theweb browser module is a module that performs web browsing and accesses aweb server. The service module is a module that includes variousapplications for providing various services.

As described above, the storage 360 may include various program modules,but some of the program modules may be omitted, changed, or addedaccording to the type and characteristic of the display apparatus 100.For example, when the display apparatus 100 is implemented as a tabletPC, the base module may further include a location determination modulefor determining a GPS-based location, and the sensing module may furtherinclude a sensing module for detecting a user's motion.

In addition, the storage 360 stores operation information of the displayapparatus 100, EPG information, and a screen that is captured by theimage processor 320. The storage 360 may be implemented by usinghardware or a non-volatile memory.

The inputter 370 receives input of a user command to control the displayapparatus 100. In this case, the inputter 370 may be implemented byusing a remote controller, but this is an example. The inputter 370 maybe implemented by using various input devices such as a touch screen, avoice recognition unit, a motion recognition unit, a pointing device,etc.

The graphic processor 383, the image processor 320, and the controller380 may be integrated into a single chip. However, this should not beconsidered as limiting, and the graphic processor 383, the imageprocessor 320, and the controller 380 may be implemented by usingvarious combinations. For example, the graphic processor 383 and theimage processor 320 may be implemented by using a single chip, or theimage processor 320 and the controller 380 may be implemented by using asingle chip.

The controller 380 controls the overall operations of the displayapparatus 100 using various programs stored in the storage 360. As shownin FIG. 3, the controller 380 includes a Random Access Memory (RAM) 381,a Read Only Memory (ROM) 382, a graphic processor 383, a main CentralProcessing Unit (CPU) 384, first to n-th interfaces 385-1 to 385-n, anda bus 386. The RAM 381, the ROM 382, the graphic processor 383, the mainCPU 384, and the first to n-th interfaces 385-1 to 385-n may beconnected with one another via the bus 386.

The ROM 382 may store a set of instructions for booting a system. Inresponse to a turn on command being inputted and power being supplied,the main CPU 384 may copy the O/S stored in the storage 360 into the RAM381 according to a command stored in the ROM 382, and boot the system byexecuting the O/S. In response to the booting being completed, the mainCPU 384 may copy various application programs stored in the storage 360into the RAM 381, and perform various operations by executing theapplication programs copied into the RAM 381.

The graphic processor 383 may generate a screen including variousobjects such as an icon, an image, a text, etc. using a calculator and arenderer. The calculator may calculate attribute values of objects to bedisplayed according to a layout of the screen, such as a coordinatevalue, a shape, a size, a color, etc., based on a received controlcommand. The renderer may generate the screen of various layoutsincluding objects based on the attribute values calculated by thecalculator. The screen generated in the renderer is displayed within adisplay area of the display 330.

The main CPU 384 may access the storage 360 and perform booting usingthe O/S stored in the storage 360. In addition, the main CPU 384 mayperform various operations using various programs, content, data, etc.,which are stored in the storage 360.

The first to n-th interfaces 385-1 to 385-n may be connected with theabove-described various elements. One of the interfaces may be a networkinterface that is connected with an external device via a network.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views illustrating a search function of the displayapparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B areviews illustrating a function of displaying a list of recommended searchterms or a list of corrected search terms based on information that thedisplay apparatus 100 receives from the external server 200 whileexecuting a search function according to an exemplary embodiment. FIGS.6A and 6B are views illustrating a function of the external server 200extracting information on a search record while a search function isexecuted according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 7 is a viewillustrating a function of the display apparatus 100 transmittinginformation on viewers' search record and related search terminformation to the external device 300.

Referring again to FIG. 3, in response to the search function beingperformed while an image content is displayed, the controller 380 maycontrol the communicator 350 to transmit information on the imagecontent to the external server 200, and receive information on a searchrecord of viewers who are watching the image content from the externalserver 200. In this case, the controller 380 may provide the informationon the search record.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the UI 400 saying “Do you want to usea search function?” is displayed on the display 330 of the displayapparatus 100, and, in response to the user inputting the selection ofYES 410 instead of NO 420, the controller 380 may execute the searchfunction of the display apparatus 100.

Referring again to FIG. 3, according to an exemplary embodiment, theinformation on the image content described above may be EPG informationof the image content, a captured screen of the image content, andmetadata. The controller 380 may analyze the currently reproduced imagecontent based on the EPG information, and control the communicator 350to transmit the result of the analyzing to the external server 200 asthe information on the image content. In this case, the EPG informationis information for providing a broadcast program schedule table, andrefers to a variety of information displayed on the screen, such aschannels, titles of programs, broadcasting time, genre, detailedinformation of programs, etc. In addition, the controller 380 maycapture the screen of the image content, and control the communicator350 to transmit the captured screen to the external server 200 as theinformation on the image content.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the controller 380 captures a screen430 of the image content that is currently displayed, and transmits thecaptured screen 430 to the external server 200.

In addition, the external server 200 may receive at least one among theEPG information, the captured screen, and the metadata as theinformation on the image content. Thereafter, the external server 200may extract information on a search record of viewers using at least oneamong the information on the image content, a search term that isinputted by the user when the user inputs the search term, a search termthat was previously searched by the user, and a search term record ofother viewers on the image content. In this case, when the separateexternal server 250 is provided as shown in FIG. 1, the separateexternal server 250 may store the information on the image content, andthe other viewers' search record on the same image content.

Referring again to FIG. 3, according to an exemplary embodiment, inresponse to the search function of the display apparatus 100 beingexecuted, the controller 380 may transmit the information on the imagecontent (EPG information, the captured screen of the image content, themetadata, etc.) to the external server 200, and then receive theinformation on the search record of the viewers who are watching theimage content from the external server 200. In this case, theinformation on the search record of the viewers may include at least oneamong the search term record of the other viewers on the image contentand the record of a search term that was previously searched by theuser. The controller 380 may analyze the information on the viewers'search record in real time, and provide recommendation information forthe user to input.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the user does input, in a searchbox 500, a search term 510 regarding the currently displayed imagecontent while the display apparatus 100 executes the search function,the controller 380 may transmit only the information on the imagecontent (for example, the EPG information, the captured screen, and themetadata) to the external server 200. In this case, the external server200 may extract the information on the viewers' search record using atleast one among the information on the image content, the record of asearch term that was previously searched by the user, and other viewers'search record on the image content. In addition, the external server 200may transmit the extracted viewers' search record to the displayapparatus 100. Thereafter, the controller 380 of the display apparatus100 may control the communicator 350 to receive the information on theviewers' search record (the other viewers' search term record on theimage content, the record of the search term that was previouslysearched by the user, etc.). Thereafter, the controller 380 may analyzethe viewers' search record in real time, and control the display 330 todisplay a list 520 of recommended search terms for the user to input,such as {circle around (1)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Outdoor Jumper, {circle around(2)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick, {circle around (3)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Husband,etc.

According to an exemplary embodiment, when the user inputs a search termregarding the currently displayed image content while the displayapparatus 100 executes the search function, the controller 380 mayanalyze the search term that is inputted by the user in real time basedon the information on the viewers' search record received from theexternal server 200, and control the display 330 to display search termcorrection information related to the user's input search term.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, it is assumed that, while the displayapparatus 100 executes the search function, the user incorrectly inputs,in the search box 500, “Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock” as a search term 530related to Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick regarding the currently displayedimage content (500). The controller 380 may transmit the inputted searchterm 530 (Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock) and the information on the imagecontent (for example, the EPG information, the captured screen, themetadata, etc.) to the external server 200. In this case, the externalserver 200 may extract the information on the viewers' search recordusing at least one among the image content information (the EPGinformation, the metadata, and the captured screen), the search term 530inputted by the user (Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock), the search term that waspreviously searched by the user, and the other viewers' search record onthe image content. In this case, the external server 200 may transmitthe extracted information on the viewers' search record to the displayapparatus 100. Thereafter, the controller 380 of the display apparatus100 may analyze the user's input “Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock” in real timebased on the information on the viewers' search record, and thencontrols the display 330 to display a list 540 of corrected search termsincluding “Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick” in relation to the user's inputsearch term 510 “Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock.” That is, the controller 380may analyze the user's input search term in real time, and provide acorrection search term list UI.

In an exemplary embodiment, a list of corrected search terms isdisplayed when the user incorrectly inputs a search term. However, thisis an example, and, when the user correctly inputs a search term, a listof search terms related to the user's input search term may bedisplayed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the display apparatus 100 analyzes theviewers' search term information received from the external server 200in real time, and extracts search term information related to the imagecontent. However, according to another exemplary embodiment, theexternal server 200 may directly extract search term information relatedto the image content, and transmit the search term information to thedisplay apparatus 100.

In response to the search function of the display apparatus 100 beingperformed, the controller 380 may control the communicator 350 totransmit image content information (for example, EPG information, acaptured screen, metadata, etc.) to the external server 200. In thiscase, the external server 200 may analyze the information on the imagecontent (for example, the EPG information, the captured screen, themetadata, etc.), a search term when the user inputs the search term, asearch term that was previously inputted by the user, and other viewers'search term record on the image content in real time, and extract searchterm information related to the image content.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the user does not input, in asearch box 600, a search term regarding the currently displayed imagecontent while the display apparatus 100 executes the search function,the controller 380 transmits only the information on the image content(for example, the EPG information, the captured screen, and themetadata) to the external server 200. In this case, the external server200 extracts search term information 630 related to the image contentusing at least one among received image content information 610, thesearch term that was previously searched by the user, and other viewers'record 620 of searching the image contents. In addition, the externalserver 200 may transmit an extracted relevant search term record 640({circumflex over (1)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Outdoor Jumper, {circumflex over(2)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick, {circle around (3)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Husband,etc.) to the display apparatus 100.

In another example, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the user incorrectlyinputs, in the search box 600, “Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock” as a search term605 related to “Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick” regarding the currentlydisplayed image content while the display apparatus 100 executes thesearch function, the controller 380 transmits the inputted search term605 (Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstock) and the information on the image content(for example, the EPG information, the captured screen, the metadata,etc.) to the external server 200. In this case, the external server 200analyzes receive image content information 680 (the EPG information andthe captured screen), the search term 650 inputted by the user (JunJi-Hyun's Lipstock), a search term 660 that was previously searched bythe user, and other viewers' record 670 of searching the image contentsin real time, and extracts search term information related to the imagecontent. In this case, the external server 200 may transmit an extractedsearch record 695 ({circumflex over (1)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Outdoor Jumper,{circumflex over (2)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick, {circle around (3)} JunJi-Hyun's Husband, etc.) to the display apparatus 100.

Thereafter, the controller 380 of the display apparatus 100 may controlthe display 330 to display the search term information related to theimage content (the extracted search record—{circumflex over (1)} JunJi-Hyun's Outdoor Jumper, {circumflex over (2)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Lipstick,{circle around (3)} Jun Ji-Hyun's Husband, etc.), as shown in FIG. 5A,for the user to input a search term among the displayed search terminformation. The controller 380 may control the display 330 to display alist of recommended search terms.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in response to the displayapparatus 100 interworking with the external device 300, the controller380 of the display apparatus 100 may control the communicator 350 todisplay the received information on the search record to the externaldevice 300.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the controller 380 of the displayapparatus 100 controls the communicator 350 to transmit the receivedinformation on the search record or the list of recommended search termsto the external device 300. In this case, the external device 300displays a list 710 of recommended search terms on a display 700.

In an exemplary embodiment, only the list of search terms is transmittedto the external device 300. However, this is an example, and the displayapparatus may transmit a variety of information received from theexternal server 200 to the external device 300.

In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the external device 300 isincluded in the search system. However, this is an example, and thesearch system may not include the external device 300. In addition, theexternal servers 200 and 250 are provided separately from the displayapparatus 100. However, this is an example, and the display apparatus100 may include the servers 200 and 250 therein. Other variations may beprovided.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, and 9B are views illustrating an on demand service ofa video on demand (VOD) or a DVD using a search function of the displayapparatus 100 according to one or more exemplary embodiments.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in response to the user inputtinga broadcast program search related to a currently displayed imagecontent while the display apparatus 100 executes the search function andthe on demand service, the controller 380 may control the communicator350 to transmit an inputted search term to the external server 200, andthe external server 200 may extract image information desired by theuser using the search term inputted by the user, information on theimage content (for example, EPG information, a captured screen,metadata, etc.), and other information related to the search term (forexample, a search term that was previously searched by the user, andother viewers' search record on the image content). Thereafter, thecontroller 380 of the display apparatus 100 may provide the imageinformation related to the search term inputted by the user.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, it is assumed that the userincorrectly inputs, in a search box 800, a search term 810 “Pleasesearch a broadcast program with Jun Ji-Hyon.” As described above, theexternal server 200 may extract information on viewers' search recordusing the incorrectly inputted search term 810, and the information onthe image content (for example, the EPG information, the capturedscreen, the metadata, etc.), and may extract a recommendation broadcastprogram with “Jun Ji-Hyun” that is closely related to the incorrectlyinputted search term “Jun Ji-Hyon.”

Thereafter, in the same way as in an exemplary embodiment, thecontroller 380 of the display apparatus 100 may analyze the search terminputted by the user in real time based on the information on theviewers' search record that is received from the external server 200,and displays a list 820 of corrected search terms ({circle around (1)}Recommend Jun Ji-Hyun's Broadcast Program) related to the user'sinputted search term 810 “Please search a broadcast program with JunJi-Hyon.”

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8B, the display apparatus 100 display alist 830 of recommended image information or broadcast programs relatedto the user's inputted search term that is received from the externalserver 200 and selected by the user.

In an exemplary embodiment, the external server 200 may extract thebroadcast program with “Jun Ji-Hyun” (the corrected and selected searchterm “Jun Ji-Hyun”) using the received EPG information, and transmit thebroadcast program to the display apparatus 100. However, this is anexample.

That is, the external server 200 may extract a content complying withthe user's input intention from the contents stored in the VOD serverand another external device (for example, a DVD device) connected withthe display apparatus 100, in addition to the EPG information, andtransmit a result of the extracting to the display apparatus 100.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, it is assumed that the user inputs, ina search box 900, a search term 910 “Please search a broadcast programwith Jun Ji-Hyun (actor/actress's name).” In this case, as describedabove, the external server 200 may extract information on viewers'search record using the inputted search term 910, and the information onthe image content (for example, the EPG information, the capturedscreen, the metadata, etc.), and may extract a recommendation broadcastprogram with “Jun Ji-Hyun.”

Thereafter, in the same way as in an exemplary embodiment, thecontroller 380 of the display apparatus 100 may analyze the search terminputted by the user in real time based on the information on theviewers' search record that is received from the external server 200,and displays a list 920 of recommended search terms ({circle around (1)}Jun Ji-Hyun's Broadcast Program and {circumflex over (2)} Kim Soo-Hyun'sBroadcast Program) related to the user's inputted search term 910“Please search a broadcast program with Jun Ji-Hyun (actor/actress'sname).”

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9B, the external server 200 may extract aprogram with the recommended search term “Jun Ji-Hyun” (actor/actress'sname) that is selected by the user, from the contents stored in the VODservice and another external device (for example, a DVD device)connected with the display apparatus 100, in addition to the EPGinformation received from the display apparatus 100, and transmit theextracted program information to the display apparatus 100. The displayapparatus 100 displays a list of recommended image information 930 and940 by classifying the contents by service. For example, when thebroadcast programs with “Jun Ji-Hyun” (actor/actress's name) aresearched from the EPG information and a DVD player connected with thedisplay apparatus 100, the display apparatus 100 displays a list of therecommended image information 930 that includes broadcast programssearched from the EPG information, and a list of the recommended imageinformation 940 that includes DVD contents searched from the DVD playeron a single screen.

In an exemplary embodiment, the search term inputted by the user iscorrected and the list of corrected search terms is displayed, and then,a list of recommended broadcast programs related to the corrected searchterm is displayed. However, this is an example. When the user does notinput a search term, a list of recommended search terms and a list ofbroadcast programs related thereto may be displayed.

For example, referring again to FIG. 9A, if the user does not input asearch term regarding a currently displayed image content while thedisplay apparatus 100 executes the search function and the on demandservice, the controller 380 may transmit information on the imagecontent (for example, EPG information, a captured screen, metadata,etc.) to the external server 200, and the external server 200 mayextract information on viewers' search record and recommendationbroadcast program information related to the extracted information onthe viewers' search record using the information on the image contentand pre-stored information (for example, a search term that waspreviously searched by the user, and the other viewer's search record onthe image content), etc. Thereafter, the controller 380 of the displayapparatus 100 may analyze the information on the viewers' search recordthat is received from the external server 200 in real time, and displaythe list 920 of recommended search terms in order for the user to input.In this case, in response to the user selecting one from the list 920 ofrecommended search terms, the controller 380 may display a list ofrecommended broadcast programs related to the selected search term (seeFIGS. 8B and 9B).

In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the user inputs the search termthrough the user inputter. However, this is an example, and the user mayinput the search term through various input devices such as a voiceinput unit, a touch screen, a pointing device, etc.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a searchfunction of the display apparatus 100 according to one or more exemplaryembodiments.

In operation S1010, the display apparatus 100 displays an image content.

In operation S1020, the display apparatus 100 determines whether toperform or execute a search function. In response to the displayapparatus 100 determining to perform the search function, the displayapparatus 100 continues in operation S1030. Otherwise, the displayapparatus 100 ends the method.

In operation S1030, the display apparatus 100 transmits information onthe image content to the external server 200. In this case, theinformation on the image content may be EPG information on the currentlydisplayed image content, and a captured screen of the image content.

In operation S1040, the display apparatus 100 receives information onviewers' search record from the external server 200. The external server200 may extract the information on the viewers' search record using atleast one among the information on the image content and the otherviewers' search term record on the image content. In addition, inresponse to a search term inputted by the user being received from thedisplay apparatus 100, the external server 200 may extract theinformation on the viewers' search record using at least one among theinformation on the image content, the search term inputted by the user,a search term that was previously inputted by the user, and the otherviewers' search record on the image content. Thereafter, the displayapparatus 100 may receive the information on the viewers' search recordfrom the external server 200.

In operation S1050, the display apparatus 100 provides related searchterm information based on the information on the viewers' search record.As described above, when the user does not input a search term, thedisplay apparatus 100 may display the list 520 of recommended searchterms in order for the user to input as shown in FIG. 5A. In addition,when the user inputs the search term 530 but incorrectly inputs thesearch term 530 as shown in FIG. 5B, the display apparatus 100 maydisplay the list 540 of corrected search terms.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments described above, the usermay control the search function of the display apparatus 100 more easilyand efficiently.

FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating a search function of thedisplay apparatus 100 when the display apparatus 100 interworks with theexternal device 300 according to one or more exemplary embodiments.

In operation S1110, the display apparatus 100 displays an image content.

In operation S1120, when the user wants the external device 300 tointerwork with the display apparatus 100, the external device 300transmits an interwork request message to the display apparatus 100.

In operation S1130, the display apparatus 100 approves of the externaldevice 300 interworking therewith, and in operation S1135, the displayapparatus 100 transmits an interwork approval message to the externaldevice 300.

In operation S1140, the display apparatus 100 performs a searchfunction, and in operation S1150, the display apparatus 100 transmitsinformation on the image content to the external server 200. In thiscase, the information on the image content may be EPG information of thecurrently displayed image content, and a captured screen of the imagecontent.

In operation S1160, the external server 200 extracts information onviewers' search record based on the information received from thedisplay apparatus 100. In response to a search term inputted by the userbeing received from the display apparatus 100, the external server 200may extract the information on the viewers' search term using at leastone among the information on the image content (for example, the EPGinformation and the captured screen), the search term inputted by theuser, a search term that was previously inputted by the user, and theother viewers' search term record on the image content. In addition, inresponse to no search term being received from the display apparatus100, the external server 200 may extract the information on the viewers'search record using at least one among the information on the imagecontent and the other viewers' search term record on the image content.

In operation S1170, the external server 200 transmits the information onthe viewers' search record to the display apparatus 100.

In operation S1180, the display apparatus 100 provides the informationon the viewers' search record.

In operation S1190, the display apparatus 100 transmits the informationon the viewers' search record to the external device 300.

In addition, the exemplary embodiments may also be implemented throughcomputer-readable code and/or instructions on a medium, e.g., acomputer-readable medium, to control at least one processing element toimplement any above-described embodiments. The medium may correspond toany medium or media that may serve as a storage and/or performtransmission of the computer-readable code.

The computer-readable code may be recorded and/or transferred on amedium in a variety of ways, and examples of the medium includerecording media, such as magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM, floppydisks, hard disks, etc.) and optical recording media (e.g., compact discread only memories (CD-ROMs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs)), andtransmission media such as Internet transmission media. Thus, the mediummay have a structure suitable for storing or carrying a signal orinformation, such as a device carrying a bitstream according to one ormore exemplary embodiments. The medium may also be on a distributednetwork, so that the computer-readable code is stored and/or transferredon the medium and executed in a distributed fashion. Furthermore, theprocessing element may include a processor or a computer processor, andthe processing element may be distributed and/or included in a singledevice.

The foregoing exemplary embodiments are examples and are not to beconstrued as limiting. The present teaching can be readily applied toother types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the exemplaryembodiments is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scopeof the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations willbe apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for controlling a display apparatus forsearching, the method comprising: displaying an image content;determining whether a search function is performed while the imagecontent is displayed; in response to the determining that the searchfunction is performed while the image content is displayed, transmittinginformation of the image content to an external server; receiving, fromthe external server, information of a search record of one or moreviewers of the image content; and providing information of one or moresearch terms that are related to the image content, based on theinformation of the search record.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thetransmitting comprises: in response to the determining that the searchfunction is performed, analyzing the image content that is currentlydisplayed based on information of an electronic program guide;transmitting a result of the analyzing to the external server as theinformation of the image content; capturing a screen of the imagecontent; and transmitting the captured screen to the external server asthe information of the image content.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe information of the search record comprises at least one amonginformation of a record of a search term of other viewers regarding theimage content, and information of a record of a search term that waspreviously searched by a user.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theproviding comprises: analyzing the information of the search record inreal time; and providing information of a recommended search term thatis inputtable by a user, based on a result of the analyzing.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the providing comprises: receiving an inputof a search term from a user; analyzing the search term in real timebased on the information of the search record; and providing informationof a corrected search term that is related to the search term, based ona result of the analyzing.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprisingtransmitting, to an external device, at least one among the informationof the search record, and the information of the one or more searchterms.
 7. A display apparatus for searching, the display apparatuscomprising: a display configured to display an image content; acommunicator configured to communicate with at least one among anexternal server and an external device; and a controller configured to:determine whether a search function is performed while the image contentis displayed; in response to the controller determining that the searchfunction is performed while the image content is displayed, control thecommunicator to transmit information of the image content to theexternal server; control the communicator to receive, from the externalserver, information of a search record of one or more viewers of theimage content; and provide information of one or more search terms thatare related to the image content, based on the information of the searchrecord.
 8. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller isfurther configured to: in response to the controller determining thatthe search function is performed, analyze the image content that iscurrently displayed based on information of an electronic program guide;control the communicator to transmit a result of the analyzing to theexternal server as the information of the image content; capture ascreen of the image content; and control the communicator to transmitthe captured screen to the external server as the information of theimage content.
 9. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein theinformation of the search record comprises at least one amonginformation of a record of a search term of other viewers regarding theimage content, and information of a record of a search term that waspreviously searched by a user.
 10. The display apparatus of claim 7,wherein the controller is further configured to: analyze the informationof the search record in real time; and provide information of arecommended search term that is inputtable by a user, based on a resultof the analyzing.
 11. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein thecontroller is further configured to: receive an input of a search termfrom a user; analyze the search term in real time based on theinformation of the search record; and provide information of a correctedsearch term that is related to the search term, based on a result of theanalyzing.
 12. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controlleris further configured to control the communicator to transmit, to theexternal device, at least one among the information of the searchrecord, and the information of the one or more search terms.
 13. Asearch function execution system comprising: a display apparatusconfigured to: determine whether a search function is performed while animage content is displayed; and in response to the display apparatusdetermining that the search function is performed while the imagecontent is displayed, transmit information of the image content to anexternal server; the external server configured to: extract informationof a search record of one or more viewers of the image content; andtransmit the information of the search record to the display apparatus,wherein the display apparatus is further configured to provideinformation of one or more search terms that are related to the imagecontent, based on the information of the search record; and an externaldevice configured to receive, from the display apparatus, at least oneamong the information of the search record, and the information of theone or more search terms.
 14. The search function execution system ofclaim 13, wherein the external server is further configured to extractthe information of the search record based on at least one among theinformation of the image content and a record of a search term of otherviewers regarding the image content.
 15. The search function executionsystem of claim 13, wherein the external server is further configuredto: receive, from the display apparatus, an input of a search term thatis input by a user; and extract the information of the search recordbased on at least one among the input search term, the information ofthe image content, and a record of a search term of other viewersregarding the image content.
 16. The search function execution system ofclaim 13, wherein the display apparatus is further configured to provideinformation of one or more broadcast programs based on a selection of arespective one of the one or more search terms.